by false pretenses

by false pretenses

By or under a false impression created through intentional misrepresentation. I'm afraid you were brought here by false pretenses. I'm not your long-lost brother. You may not have lied directly, but you sold him those paintings by false pretenses—he thinks they're originals!
See also: by, false, pretense
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

by/on/under false preˈtences

(British English) (American English by/on/under false ˈpretenses) by lying about your identity, qualifications, financial or social position, etc: She was sent to prison for six months for obtaining money under false pretences. He got me there under false pretences. He told me he wanted to discuss a business deal, but when I got there, it was a surprise birthday party.
See also: by, false, on, pretence
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • on false pretenses
  • pretence
  • pretense
  • by/on/under false pretences
  • under false pretenses
  • ring false
  • ring true
  • ring true/false/hollow
  • colour
  • false
References in periodicals archive
A grand jury indicted Holcomb for obtaining property or money by false pretenses greater than $2,000 and breach of trust, and a jury found him guilty.
Accurate Collision Inc., owned by Haddad and located in Worcester, Mass., was indicted on eight counts of motor vehicle insurance fraud and seven counts of larceny by false pretenses over $1,200.
Wendy George, 39, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, one count of felony accessing a computer to perpetrate a fraud and one count of Medicaid fraud before the court.
As it turned out, she and her husband were convicted of 16 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. They were found guilty of renting out properties that were not their own.
entered not-guilty pleas to five counts each of making false Medicaid claims and larceny of more than $250 by false pretenses.
Judge Rory McCabe is presiding over the case of former doctor Paschal Carmody, 60, who is charged with obtaining more than EUR80,000 by false pretenses.
Fraudulent conversion and obtaining of money or property by false pretenses. Confidence games and bad checks, except forgeries and counterfeiting, are included.
Back in Sweden (1629), he succeeded in marrying the daughter of a nobleman by false pretenses but was found out and again imprisoned.
Even then, white-collar crime flourished, with fraudulent bills of exchange, "long-firm frauds" (obtaining goods by false pretenses), dishonest bankruptcies, malversation of trust funds, and the like.
206 with five counts each of making false Medicaid claims and larceny of more than $250 by false pretenses. Her son, Rashad Cousin, 31, of Springfield, was indicted on three counts each of making false Medicaid claims and larceny of more than $250 by false pretenses.
Tucker, after a seven-day bench trial in Worcester Superior Court, of larceny of more than $250 of a victim older than 60 and larceny of more than $250 by false pretenses, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Friday.
Fraud--Fraudulent conversion and obtaining money or property by false pretenses. Confidence games and bad checks, except forgeries and counterfeiting, are included.
Mahan is charged with workers' compensation fraud and larceny by false pretenses. Mr.